Organ Freeman: Busywork

Not to be confused with the Los Angles-based organ trio of the same name—though it is hard to see how confusion will not reign—this Organ Freeman hails from Dublin, Ireland, where guitarist/vocalist Charlie Moon, organist Darragh Hennessy and drummer Dominic Mullan have held a Sunday residency at The Big Romance since 2018. For its debut album, the trio welcomes tenor saxophonist Michael Buckley on a set split equally between original tunes and covers. Drawing inspiration from the jazz organ trios' golden era of the '50s and '60s, the music covers blues, swing, funk and balladry.

Perhaps what sets this combo apart from other jazz organ trios is Moon's singing. There is more than a passing resemblance to Chet Baker in his gently melancholic, vibrato-free delivery of "Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out To Dry," "Make Someone Happy," (both by Jule Styne)—and his self-penned "Here's To The Rest." A swinging version of Richard Rogers' "Loads of Love" breaks the mould, the faster tempo eliciting some tasty solos culminating in a vamp-driven drum feature. Pleasant diversions, these vocal numbers shake up an otherwise unwavering template of solos bookended by unison heads.

Familiar architecture for sure, but there is much to enjoy in the group's play. Moon, a guitarist of clean tone, brings understated grace to the table on a handful of elegant solos—without ever quite letting go. Buckley's coarser attack, by contrast, injects some pep into proceedings. The saxophonist struts his stuff like James Brown-era Maceo Parker on the funk-fueled title track, burns with boppish intensity on the lively "Moonlight Dames," deep-dives into the blues on the slow-cooking "Skirts and Kidneys" and lends purring lyricism to the ballad "Here's To the Rest." Just as his participation broadened the sonic palette of Dublin trio CEO Experiment, Buckley's contributions here are telling.

The organ is a constant presence throughout; Hennessy's bubbling accompaniment and snaking solos place him firmly in a line that descends from Jimmy Smith to Joey DeFrancesco . His solo on Hank Mobley's "Hipsippy Blues" and shimmering lines on Duke Pearson's "Christo Redentor"-an album highlight—are reminders why the organ trio never grows old. Perhaps a little more collective caution-to-the-wind bravura would have made for a more viscerally engaging listen, but that is what the live arena is for.

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